Reyna and Nico - The Aftermath
by fangirl2906
Summary: One of the horses from Selene's moon chariot has escaped to Camp Jupiter, where it is accidentally killed by Hannibal the elephant. As a result, Reyna and Nico undertake a quest to the Underworld to find it before they have to face Diana/Artemis's wrath. And before earth will never see the moon again. But the trouble doesn't end here. Basically, Reynico's story after BoO.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer-I do NOT own any of these characters, they belong to Rick Riordan. I have simply used them here for entertainment purposes only. I do NOT plagiarize- neither from the author, nor from any other person. I do NOT read others' fanfiction at all; so if you see any resemblance, please note that it is PURELY COINCIDENTAL. Anyway, I hope you guys like what you're about to read! Love y'all, rock on!

\- fangirl2906

Reyna and Nico – The Aftermath

Chapter 1

Reyna walked down the streets of New Rome, a cup of hot chocolate in hand, trying (in vain) to forget Aphrodite's words. "You will not find love where you wish or where you hope. No demigod shall heal your heart…" Now that the whole Gaia threat was over, and everything had settled down (for now, anyway); she could afford to think in peace. But no matter how much she tried, the words kept swirling around in her head.

She reached her favorite place at Camp Jupiter - the Garden of Bacchus. It was one place she could think in peace. And she did- _had_ to do- a lot of thinking. Reyna took her place at her usual spot and let out a deep breath. All this constant worrying made her feel internally restless. She tried to remember the last time she'd been able to just relax and let go; but she couldn't. Not when you were the praetor of the Roman civilization, of a culture that had existed for centuries. She wasn't alone in her praetoring duties, though.

She (well, Jason, but the Senate had cast a full vote in favor of that decision later) had appointed Frank Zhang of the Fifth Cohort as co-praetor recently, in the midst of the giant war. She had her reasons for it. First thing, Frank was a good person at heart, true to his Roman blood, and to himself. The guy was utterly incapable of scheming. She probably wouldn't have picked him at first, but he seemed to have grown more confident(and powerful) lately. All this for New Rome and her camp- they needed a second praetor. And for a less noble reason, Reyna was quite relieved to have someone share the duties of being a praetor with her. Being praetor was lonely, which only made the job more difficult than it already was.

She sipped her chocolate, so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't see the person who had soundlessly materialized from the shadows. When he became fully visible, Reyna finally noticed him. She jumped, even though she'd know that particular demigod's pale complexion, gothic clothes and dark, intense eyes anywhere.

It was Nico di Angelo.

"Hey." he said, giving her a half smile.

"Hey." Reyna replied, still a little shaken. She usually never let her guard down so easily, but she'd been completely preoccupied with the issues she had to deal with. "What are you doing here?" Reyna knew Nico oscillated between the Roman and Greek camps, and she also knew that he was staying over the weekend; but she'd had no idea that he'd be here. She had hoped to spend some time alone by herself(she was usually alone, but this time she wanted _some peace_ along with her loneliness).

"I've been here a couple of times. It's one place I can think." Nico answered.

Reyna smiled. That was exactly what she'd thought, just a few moments ago. Add that to the long list of things she and the son of Hades had in common.

"Me too. How are things at Camp Half-Blood?"

"They're fine." He smiled. Nico smiled more often these days. Maybe he was finally coming out of his shell.

Reyna sat back down and patted the area next to Nico. He plopped down beside her, and they talked. About their day, about the camps, about their sisters. Reyna marveled at how much her relationship with Nico had changed. In the beginning, she felt uneasy being around him; but ever since the giant war, she realized that they had more in common than they both thought.

Whatever bond of trust and/or friendship had developed between Reyna and Nico, it seemed to have progressed so far. They talked more often whenever he visited; they even walked around camp together, with cups of hot chocolate. (Who knew it was his favorite drink, too?) Nico was a good listener, and he was really easy to talk to.

"...and then Mr.D said Percy's name right", Nico was telling her stories of Camp Half-Blood's director, the Greek wine-god Dionysus. Reyna glanced at the statue of Bacchus, hardly believing that it was of the same deity as 'Mr.D'. She laughed(a rarity), but stopped when she looked around and saw that the sun had already set, and stars polka-dotted the night sky, twinkling brightly.

"We'd better get going. It's late." Nico was on his feet.

They walked back to the _Via Principalis_ , where they said goodnight. Reyna pulled Nico in for a hug; she no longer hesitated about that. Neither did he.

Fifteen minutes later, Reyna flopped onto her bed, and exhaled contentedly. Talking to Nico was always comforting, but as soon as he left, she would be bombarded with sadness. Thinking about Venus's words again, she fell into her usual troubled sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! I'm so, so sorry I posted this so late. But when you're a student with a family that doesn't let you even breathe in peace, well... it's kinda hard. Anyway, hope you like it!

P.S. these characters belong to Rick Riordan.

Chapter 2 – Something Unexpected

Of course, something _had_ to go wrong the next day, because endless heartache and a constant fight for survival-for herself and Rome-weren't enough.

The day started normally enough. Just after dinner, however; things got messy. Literally.

Reyna hovered over the Field of Mars on Guido, her new Pegasus, getting ready to supervise the war games. Tonight, the Third, Fourth and Fifth Cohorts were defending, while the First and Second attacked. Nico stood at one of the watchtowers. Reyna glanced at him, then behind him. A horse seemed to be galloping towards the field, at full speed.

Within a few seconds, it became clear that this was no ordinary horse. It glowed a whitish-silver, galloping at impossible speeds, whinnying frantically all the way. Its mane was a billowing trail of ice, sparkling like diamonds under the light of the full moon.

Hannibal the elephant panicked at the sight and picked that moment to go crazy, running over campers and destroying the game fort. He headed straight for the 'danger' in front of him, and gouged the frightened steed with his tusks.

Reyna looked on in shock as the demigod who tried to stop Hannibal was sent flying to Temple Hill. He landed headfirst in the basket of moldy apples kept for Neptune.

Hopefully the god wouldn't be offended by that.

She immediately ordered Nate Wilson, son of Apollo (and the best healer at camp) to shoot a tranquillizer dart at Hannibal, and the rest of the healers to attend to the wounded campers.

"WHO DARES KILL GLIMMER?" A female voice boomed. Reyna looked at the gored up body of the silver horse and resisted the urge to smack her head. Sparkly silver horses? Obviously, this one belonged to the gods. She lowered Guido to the ground, and stood beside Nico, who had joined her.

"Great", she groaned. "Now we've gotten Diana's horse killed."

"Yes, little Miss Praetor! That was Glimmer, one of the two horses who drove our moon chariot!" Diana boomed. She was dressed in full Roman armor, with auburn hair flowing from her helmet. Her most striking feature was her eyes, which glowed as silver as the moon.

" _Our_ moon chariot?" Nico asked.

"We meet again, son of Hades. And yes, ' _our'_ meaning mine and Selene's! We share our duties because I have no time for handling the moon when I am so busy hunting wild beast!"

She glared at Reyna and Nico. "I suppose I must issue a quest to get Glimmer back, or no one will ever see the moon again! You will leave as soon as possible, and if she is not returned in a week's time, you imbeciles will be the first to face my wrath!"

"Damn it!" Nico muttered.

"My apologies, Lady Diana. We will organize a quest to get er, Glimmer back right away."

"You'd better, _Praetor_!" Diana barked, managing to make Reyna's rank sound like an insult. The campers averted their eyes as the goddess took on her true form and disappeared in a flash.

"All right, Romans!" Reyna called. "I'll lead this quest myself. Who will accompany me?"

"I will." Nico spoke.

Reyna raised an eyebrow. It made sense; since the horse was obviously in the Underworld, and Nico was a son of Hades(and an ambassador of Pluto to the others). But she felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. She didn't want him to come along on the quest, it was too risky. Reyna knew that when it came to Nico, it had become her first instinct to protect him. The mere thought of him doing anything dangerous made her want to cry. He's a **demigod** _,_ she thought. Dangerous was the story of his life.

"Nico, are you sure-

"Yeah, Reyna, I am. I'm the only son of Had- um, Pluto here, and we're going to the underworld. You're going to need my experience. Besides," he leaned in and whispered, "do you see any other volunteers?"

"Fine, then.", she hissed. And then loudly, "Romans! It is settled: Nico and I will undertake this quest, and to discuss the details we're going to call an emergency meeting. Everybody to the Senate Hall, now!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – The Quest Begins

Nico walked alongside Reyna to the Senate Hall. Why was she so upset about him coming along with her to the Underworld? They were friends, _close_ friends, and he should've been her first choice. An uneasy feeling crept up Nico's body. What if Reyna was just being a good praetor, a good comrade, all the time they'd spent together? What if she'd thought of him as weird and creepy all along and was just being polite?

 **This** was the reason Nico never got close to people. They were nice to him at first, but as time passed, they'd start ignoring him. Some of the people he'd known acted like they'd rather hang out with a trash can than talk to him.

What if Reyna was just like the others?

No. She wouldn't - _couldn't_ be like that. If she was, she wouldn't have lent him her strength, saved his life, given him a million hugs, or laid her sore heart bare in front of him. He sighed.

"Nico, if you want to pull out of this one, it's fine." Reyna said, holding his hand. For some reason, it tingled like crazy. He simply shook his head and squeezed her hand.

The Senate Hall was soon packed with campers and lares. The meeting lasted barely ten minutes, because there wasn't much to discuss. Go to the Underworld; get Glimmer back in a week's time. Honestly, after dealing with the Manhattan and the Giant wars, this wasn't much.

Nico decided they would shadow-travel to Los Angeles, which was the closest entry into the Underworld. There was an entrance in the camp itself, but it hadn't been used in decades and who knows how many monsters were lurking around, trying to get in. It wasn't worth the risk.

Hazel then decided to come along, because she had a way with horses and thought she could help.

The meeting dispersed, and everyone retreated to their respective Cohorts. Nico and Reyna spared themselves about fifteen minutes to prepare themselves.

Half an hour later, having prayed to all the gods, the three shadow-travelled straight into Los Angeles, in front of DOA Recording Studios.

"Is this the place, Nico?" Reyna asked, removing her hand from his.

"Yep. This is where the souls of the dead go."

"You've gotten better at this." Hazel said. Nico shrugged; of course he'd improved, he was well rested. He pushed open the door, and they entered.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own these characters. The fifth chapter may take 3-4 days, because I will not be able to use my laptop or phone in the next couple of days, but it's definitely ready. Rock on and keep smiling!

-fangirl2906

Chapter 4 – The Underworld

Reyna stared at the interiors of the building. The room looked like a waiting room, probably like the kind a recording studio would have, with velvet couches, cream colored walls and a receptionist's desk. On the front of the desk, a gold plated sign read 'Charon'.

Reyna knew Charon from the old stories. But she hadn't ever thought he'd be dressed in an expensive looking black and white pinstriped suit, or with blonde hair cropped close and chic sunglasses. He looked like one of those Hollywood actors, the kind who'd play an attractive secret agent.

"Nico! 'Sup, mate! Long time no see!" He flashed a blinding smile at Nico. (The guy even had an Australian accent.)

"Yeah, we just need to get in. It's an emergency."

"I heard about the horse. Selene's upset, but she's too gentle to do anything. Artemis, though…" Charon motioned to an elevator, and the three of them stepped in.

As soon as they entered the elevator, Charon changed appearance from elegant to scary, like the version Reyna had imagined: flowing black robe, translucent skin, a skeletal grin showing through. Now she would have new nightmares to deal with.

The elevator doors opened, and they were suddenly at the bank of a river. The Styx.

A boat appeared, and they got into it. The waters of River Styx were dark and smooth, like slightly rippling obsidian. It was beautiful, but not if you were a daisies-and-sunshine person. Random objects floated by, from broken porcelain dolls to soggy diplomas with faded ink. An empty heart-shaped locket floated by, and Reyna was tempted to touch it. She wouldn't have been surprised if it was hers. Not that she'd ever owned one of those.

Charon rowed them to a bank, where Reyna could see three gates and a huge hellhound guarding them. Cerberus.

Nico handed Charon a golden drachma, and the three walked towards the gates. When they approached them, Reyna nearly had a heart attack. Cerberus bounded towards them, and she thought they were dead. That was until the three-headed doggy barked and licked Nico and Hazel's faces. Because his tongues were so huge, the two siblings were practically bathed in dog drool.

"Gross." Nico smiled and threw a rubber ball, and Cerberus ran after it.

They passed through the second gate, which led to the fields of Asphodel. Nico led the way, and the souls made way for them.

They passed by Elysium and the Fields of Punishment. In the distance, Hades' huge palace glittered. It looked like a replica of the one in Olympus. Reyna had been there once, after the Titan war. The gods had summoned them to thank them for their services to Olympus.

By the time they reached the palace, Hazel had magically cleaned Nico and herself up. There were skeletal guards at the doors. They bowed low and the enormous obsidian doors opened on their own.

In the throne room sat Hades and Persephone. At least, Reyna thought it was Hades, and not Pluto. He wore a black robe tailored from the souls of the damned, and had pale skin, dark hair and eyes, with a solemn expression. Reyna was struck by how much he looked like Nico. Or maybe, how much Nico looked like him. The thought of Hades had never meant much to Reyna, but seeing him in person, as _Nico's father_ , suddenly made her nervous.

"Father…" Nico and Hazel both began.

Hades rose from his throne. He walked towards them and put his hands on Nico and Hazel's shoulders. Reyna felt like an outsider (which she was) interrupting their time. As if he sensed her thoughts, Hades looked at Reyna. "Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, the praetor of Rome, yes?"

"Yes, Lord Pluto."

"You may refer to me as Hades, but no matter. I suppose I can see what Nico has been going on about."

Nico reddened. "Father! I just mentioned her, like _two or three_ times, and that was because I was giving you a report of that quest to get the statue to Camp Half-Blood!"

Hades looked amused. "Two or three times, indeed." He chuckled.

Someone cleared their throat. Persephone. The goddess of springtime stood in a bright gold and yellow floral gown, which did not match her surroundings, or the expression on her face. "Not that I care or anything," she said, "but you are indeed … not that ugly. Maybe that's why Nico is so obsessed with you."

"I'm not obsessed with her!"

Persephone smiled in immature glee. She clearly hated Nico, and loved humiliating him. Reyna should've felt bad for her friend, but she found herself smiling. Had Nico really mentioned her to his dad? (Not that it mattered or anything, of course.)

Persephone continued to harass Nico. "If you're not obsessed with her, then why do you blush every time you say her name? You two could get together, and then get the hell out of here!" she said, smiling like she had nothing but love for him.

Nico had clenched his fists. "You little bi-

"Alright, that's enough." Hades interrupted. "Persephone dear, please be nice. Anyway, I know why you three are here. Unfortunately, my wife has taken a liking to the horse, and she doesn't want to return it."

"That's right, think about how beautiful it would look, standing in my garden! And besides, one horse is quite enough to drive the moon chariot."

Hazel rolled her eyes.

Reyna wondered briefly what Hades had seen in Persephone, so much that he had kidnapped her. "Lady Persephone, Lady Diana would like that horse returned in a week's time. Otherwise, we'll never see the moon again, and she will be angered greatly."

"Pfft. Not my problem." Persephone walked off. Hades tried to talk to her. "My dear, please listen. This could lead to a huge fight between the gods. Besides, you can see the horse whenever you visit the surface."

"I still want it to be mine. But perhaps I can give it up."

Reyna, Nico and Hazel sighed with relief.

Persephone wasn't done though. "I can give it up, but on one condition."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – The Condition**

On a freaking condition. On one condition, Persephone would return a horse that wasn't even hers in the first place. Wow.

Nico fought the urge to hit his evil stepmother on the head with a frying pan. Or a hammer. Or the hilt of his sword. "So what's the condition?"

"Oh, nothing much. I just need one golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides."

"Um, aren't those apples supposed to grant immortality?" Hazel asked.

"Yes, they are."

Nico and Reyna exchanged a look. They were both thinking the same thing: why would a goddess need an apple of immortality? She wouldn't, not unless she was planning to use it on a mortal. "What do you need it for?"

Persephone glared at Nico. "Perhaps I will tell you _after_ you bring me the apple. You may begin your quest. Remember, you can only enter the garden at sunset." And then she disappeared in a flash of daisies.

Hades sighed. "I have tried to reason with her, but she insisted on doing this. I'm sorry, young demigods, and good luck."

A warm feeling tugged at Nico. "Thanks, Dad." he said, and they left.

When they were out of the palace, Reyna stopped walking.

"The garden can only be entered at sunset. I'm guessing it's somewhere after midnight, or early morning. So we have no choice but to go back to camp."

"This wastes one entire day." Hazel sighed. She stretched out her hand, and Nico took it.

Within a few seconds, they were back at camp. Dawn was on the verge of breaking, and only a few Lares floated around, giving them strange looks.

Nico walked Hazel to the Fifth Cohort. She marched straight to her bed, and fell asleep instantly. Nico kissed her forehead, and did the same.

 _He stood on a cold snowy hill, overlooking the edge of a cliff. Nico knew he was dreaming, but he could only watch helplessly as the same nightmare played again._

 _Bianca stood before him, saying the words that ruined her life; which ruined his life. "I'm sorry, Nico. But I've made my decision. You'll be fine at Camp Half-Blood, okay?"_

 _"_ _Bianca, don't leave me…please…" But Bianca had already disappeared. The dream shifted, and he found himself standing next to Percy on the porch of the Big House. "I tried to stop her, Nico." he said. "But she wouldn't listen. She gave herself up to save us. I'm sorry."_

 _Nico felt his heart crunching up like a paper ball, then being shredded to a million bloody ribbons. How could Percy not have saved Bianca, or even persuaded her to stay? He_ _was a son of Poseidon! He was strong, smart, and powerful! No, he mustn't have tried enough._

 _"_ _You promised!" he yelled at Percy. In his anger, he somehow summoned skeletal warriors._ Kill him _, he mentally ordered them. Then Nico fled to the woods. No way was he staying in this horrible place. He looked back one last time, only to see Percy being stabbed in the gut. He felt Percy's life force fade away, but he felt no remorse._

 _He felt nothing at all._

"Nico! Nico, wake up!" Hazel stood over him, shaking his shoulders. "It's afternoon already. Hurry up or we'll miss lunch!"

"Go ahead." Nico answered groggily. He got dressed in a blur, thinking of his nightmare the whole time. Bianca was a regular feature, but the Percy thing was recent. It was disturbing; how could he **kill Percy** and feel nothing? _It's a subconscious thing_ , Nico reasoned. _My head just finally accepted that I no longer like Percy, so it conjured up newer images of that night. Whatever._

4:00 p.m. Nico, Reyna and Hazel stood at the edge of a cliff on Mount Tamalpais, where the garden of twilight was supposed to be. The mist around the area was strong and the three of them had trouble seeing. The only path ahead seemed to be through a stretch of land that looked like a meadow- the garden. Beyond it, huge grey clouds funneled onto the top of the mountain. This was where the Titan Atlas had to hold up the sky.

Nico shuddered. Bianca had died on her way to this place, for this quest. And now he was here. He didn't fear for his own life (either way, he'd end up in the Underworld), but this time Hazel was here. He couldn't afford to lose another sister. And he couldn't afford to lose Reyna, either. He glanced at Reyna. She had a faraway expression on her face, and Nico knew she was thinking of the battle at Mount Othrys. He'd known that Jason had fought the Titans here, but he'd never considered that _Reyna_ had been there too, fighting alongside him and the Romans. "We need to hurry.", he said.

"No kidding." Reyna snorted. She walked into the wall of mist- always the leader- leaving behind a blurred outline for them to follow.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Sorry it took so long to update, guys! Here's chapter 6! Hope you like it. If you've got any suggestions, let me know!

 **Chapter 6 - The Garden**

The Garden of twilight was one of the most beautiful things Nico had ever seen. Trees of all kinds bore ripe fruits, the flowers were fragrant and so bright they glowed faintly. The sun plunged deeper by the minute, shading everything in sight a dim reddish-orange. Wild grass grew for a floor, leaving a path of black marble steps both ways around the grand attraction-the tree of golden apples. The apples shone like they were on fire; burning a brilliant red-gold in the disappearing rays of sunlight.

Curled around the trunk lay Ladon, the dragon who guarded the tree. The beast's serpentine body was as thick as the tree trunk itself, covered in coppery scales. As if that wasn't enough to scare a person, whoever created the guy had given him a hundred heads as well.

A sad, dark melody played in the distance-the song of the Hesperides. Nico found it strangely soothing. He caught sight of Reyna ahead. She walked with a warrior's gait, proud and fierce. She looked nothing like the worried, vulnerable side of her that Nico had come to know. The cool evening breeze fluttered her dark hair, freeing a few strands which he was tempted to brush away. Suddenly, the garden didn't seem so beautiful to Nico anymore.

"Hey." he said softly.

Reyna turned to face him. "What?" she asked.

"I think I've got a plan. You and Hazel go after the apples, and I'll take care of the dragon."

Reyna opened her mouth to object, but stopped.

"You have only thyself to take care of, young demigod." A voice said, as the four Hesperides came into view. They all wore white chitons, had dark hair and pure black eyes.

"You don't understand." Hazel replied. "Goddess Persephone has asked us to bring her a golden apple. Otherwise-

"We know, daughter of Hades. But these apples must not be given to anyone, at any time. These were a wedding gift from Gaia herself, to Hera. You shall have to prove thyself worthy first."

 _Oh, no._ Nico thought. _Here it comes._

"Ladon, wake!" The first Hesperid called.

Nico watched warily as the dragon's eyes flew open. The creature rose, its hundred heads hissing and snapping. Nico drew his sword. "Reyna, go! I'll fight this thing!"

Right on cue, the dragon lunged at Reyna.

"No!" Nico yelled, pushing her out of the way. He rolled out of the way, but not before the impact like that of a moving truck hit him. Stabs of pain shot through Nico's body, making him buckle. It took all his strength not to black out. From the corner of his already blurry vision, he saw Hazel running towards him, while Reyna chopped some of Ladon's heads.

"Hazel," he said weakly, "get the apple. I'm fine." Nico forced himself to stand. He stumbled, but Reyna caught his arm, lending him her strength. Nico somehow faced the monster and concentrated hard. He'd never voluntarily sent out his emotions in someone's direction. He focused on what he felt most at the moment-pain and exhaustion. The grass under his feet withered and tendrils of black smoke curled out from him and around the giant reptile. The dragon slithered to the ground, its eyes closing.

And then everything went dark.

 **Reyna's POV:**

They'd done it. They'd gotten the apple, but Reyna didn't feel relieved. Not even close. Hazel held an unconscious Nico while Reyna stitched his multiple wounds. His body was covered with slashes and bite marks, all of them bleeding. Reyna lent him her strength till she could barely stand herself. She felt her throat tighten, but she steeled herself not to cry. What was wrong with her? She'd seen worse, been through worse and handled it like the boss she was. But seeing Nico like this-it wasn't worse at all. It was the worst.

Hazel poured unicorn draught in Nico's mouth, while Reyna spread some on his wounds. _Please be okay,_ she prayed.

After a few agonizing minutes, Nico's breathing deepened, and he finally opened his eyes.

"Nico, you're okay!" Hazel said, wiping her eyes.

"The apple?" he whispered.

"I've got it." Hazel patted her backpack.

"Good. Let's get going."

"Fine, but you're not shadow-traveling."

"Jeez, Reyna! We need to get to the Underworld."

Reyna put a hand on his arm. "I know. That's why you should call Jules-Albert."

"Um, who's Jules-Albert?" Hazel asked.

Reyna raised an eyebrow. Nico hadn't told his sister about his French zombie chauffeur? But he'd told her, and she wondered why.


	7. Chapter 7

Nico felt better just entering the Underworld. It was his home turf, after all. Now all they had to do was give his still-immature-after-two-thousand-years stepmother the apple and get the horse out of there.

"Ah, the apple!" was the first thing Persephone said when they entered the throne room, yanking it from Hazel's hand. "You may take the horse back to your camp. It is no longer needed."

No longer needed? They'd had to get the apple because Persephone refused to let the horse go! That's when it hit Nico. " _You_ let the horse loose in Camp Jupiter. You made sure it got killed and then made us come here so you could get the apple. _You_ planned this whole thing!"

The goddess of springtime smiled coldly. "Yes, young one. My lord needed it to complete his new weapon."

Nico paled. A sword was Hades' new weapon, and there was nothing about it being incomplete. But apparently, Persephone wanted an addition. He remembered that apples of immortality from the garden of the Hesperides were also the apples of joy that tempted Atalanta, and the apples of discord that caused the Trojan War.

"The golden apples don't just grant immortality, do they?"

"No." Persephone agreed. "If the sword is cooled in the juice of a golden apple, it will be able to make anyone immortal. Or do the opposite-destroy their soul permanently. And because if juice of the apple runs in the sword, the sword itself becomes indestructible."

Nico got the feeling that wasn't all the sword could do, but he decided to let it go. Gods could only bear so much questioning before they turned you turned you into dandelions or corn plants. "So, where's the horse?" he asked.

Persephone waved her hand, as if motioning someone to enter. The horse trotted in, looking very much alive and healthy. Persephone patted the horse's muzzle. It whinnied and turned towards Hazel. Hazel laughed happily as the horse nudged her.

"Take the steed to the Temple of Artemis at the Roman camp. That's all, demigods."

Reyna exhaled softly. "Thank you, Lady Persephone." she said, bowing low.

"I would like to speak with you for a second, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano. Kindly come aside." She said, already leading Reyna aside. Nico wondered what his stepmother would possibly have to say to Reyna. Reyna looked baffled as Persephone said something that sounded suspiciously like a threat. He and Hazel exchanged a glance, but said nothing as they headed out of the Underworld. For all they knew, she probably wasn't allowed to tell.

After shadow-traveling back to camp (and arguing because Nico put himself at risk again), the three stood at the Temple of Diana, weak and tired. Only the horse seemed to be in a good mood, nuzzling Hazel and whinnying happily. Just when Nico couldn't stand waiting anymore, Artemis (or Diana; this one wasn't a cute little twelve year old) stood before them.

"You have done well, demigods. You have returned Glimmer. For that, I will see to it that you are suitably rewarded someday."

"We are grateful, Lady Diana." Reyna said. The goddess snapped her fingers and the horse disappeared in a flash of ice and dust.

"Indeed, praetor. Your work for New Rome and its demigods is outstanding. You will make a fine recruit for my Hunters, maybe even a Lieutenant. Perhaps you'd like to join?"

Nico felt like someone had punched him in the gut. He had had it. "What is your _problem_?" he shouted, drawing his sword. He was seeing red, not thinking straight anymore.

"Nico! What-" Hazel and Reyna tried to hold him back, but he shook them away.

"First Bianca, now Reyna! You are NOT stealing another important person from me! You probably don't even care about your stupid Hunters, as long as you have a good stock of them! Just leave her alone!" He yelled, tears streaming down his face.

Diana looked stunned. Nico realized that she was not used to being spoken to that way. The temple had gone silent, and he felt his words sink in. Now he was going to be blasted to ashes, for sure. He clenched his jaw and braced himself, but Diana only looked at him with pity. "I'm not stealing anybody, Nico di Angelo. Your sister made her choice, and Reyna shall make hers. Well?" she turned to Reyna.

Reyna twisted her sword-and-torch ring. After a few moments, she said, "I don't know, my lady. I don't think I'm ready to join the Hunt yet. I still have to run the camp."

"Very well. The offer is still open. Goodbye, heroes." And then she was gone in a flash.


	8. Chapter 8

Nico stormed out of Diana's temple, totally embarrassed by his behavior. The goddess was right, it was Reyna's choice to make; he had no right to react that way. He looked at Reyna walking beside him. "Reyna, I'm-"

"If you're going to apologize, Nico, don't. I know you don't like the Hunters, and it's not like you've hurt me somehow. There's no need to be so hard on yourself." Reyna said, putting her hand on his forearm.

Nico wiped his eyes. Oh, gods-he had just _cried,_ in front of his friends and a goddess. He hated showing his tears (or any other emotion) to anyone but himself. But here he was, _crying_.

He groaned, and Reyna recoiled her hand, raising an eyebrow. A look of hurt flashed in her eyes, but it disappeared in a second. Nico realized that she might have assumed he'd groaned because he didn't want her touching him. Ugh, how did he mess things up with people so easily? He took her hand in his, but kept looking straight ahead.

"Dinnertime, guys." Reyna said, looking at the sky. She was right-it was dark, and the mess hall windows were lit up.

The mess hall was filled with campers, lares and _aurae_ -wind spirits. The scent of various kinds of food made Nico realize just how hungry he was. He was about to join Hazel with the rest of the Fifth Cohort demigods, but Reyna caught his arm. "Would you join me tonight?"

Nico glanced briefly at Reyna's hand. He wasn't a big fan of physical contact, but something about Reyna's touch sent tingles up his arm. "Sure." he said.

Campers stared at them as they walked to the Senators' table.

"Looks like they're back..."

"...wonder what happened..."

"Do you think they're together?"

Nico flinched at the last one. He hated it when people just assumed things without really knowing him. _I'm gay_ , he wanted to snap. But he didn't _feel_ gay, not anymore.

"...the horse. I would like to thank my comrades-Nico di Angelo, Ambassador of Pluto, and Centurion Hazel of the Fifth Cohort for accompanying me on this quest. It would have been impossible without them." Reyna announced. The campers cheered, and a lot of people turned to smile at Nico and Hazel. Nico waved at the crowd. Then he flopped down, too tired to even stand anymore.

"Nico," Reyna said, when everyone had resumed eating, "I never thanked you properly for saving my life, back in the Garden. So thank you. I'm sorry that you had to bear so much pain because of me."

Nico wanted to say that he didn't care; that he'd bear it a million times if he had to, but all he could say was, "Don't mention it."

After dinner, Nico walked Reyna to the porch of her house. "Goodnight, Nico." she said, yawning.

"Goodnight." he replied, pulling her into his arms before she could go in. It didn't feel strange, it felt like an urge. An urge he'd never felt for anyone, not even Percy. Which didn't count, because his feelings for Percy hadn't really been _feel_ _ings_ in the first place. They'd merely been admiration, with a lot of adolescent confusion thrown in. Confusion that most likely stemmed from having no guy friends, _no one_ but a sister.

Nico settled down on a bed in the Fifth Cohort, yanking his combat boots off. He lay down, and closed his eyes. His body ached and he felt about as strong as a corpse, but his mind insisted on keeping him awake with thoughts of Reyna. He sighed. What wouldn't he do for her? He was already anxious to see her the next day. _But I_ _can't_ , he thought with a pang of sadness. The weekend was over, and he was supposed to return to Camp Half-Blood. Nico felt uneasy. Suddenly, he didn't want to go back. He wanted to stay wherever Reyna was. Because he liked her. Okay, maybe 'like' wasn't strong enough.

Love was more like it.

 ** _A/N- Hey guys! This is the last chapter of this story. But the thing is, I've got more stuff planned for Reynico (Yay! Go Reynico!) So what do I do? Do I turn this into one of those long 50,000 word, 60 chapter long fics,? Or do I write it as a bunch of different stories; short & sweet? I could use some help deciding (I'm the most indecisive person on the planet, if not the universe:) Anyway, if there are people upset about the lack of the others in the story, sorry I'm not sorry. The seven have their spotlight in the books and other fics. This is a REYNICO FIC, so I'm going to focus on these two only. Which brings me back to the topic of how to proceed from here - All in one fic, or divided into many? Help?_**

 ** _BTW, DON'T FORGET TO SMILE :D_**

 ** _-fangirl2906_**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N : Hey guys! So I've decided to make this fic longer and put Reyna and Nico in more trouble! (And of course, give them a happy ending:) This chapter takes off around two weeks after what happens in the previous one.**

 **Reyna's POV:**

They finally reached Camp Half-Blood. Reyna sighed in relief. Managing a hundred Romans (and that was _half_ of the Twelfth Legion) who were so excited, they forgot all discipline, was _not_ easy, even for her.

"Alright, Romans! Remember, on your best behaviour! No fighting or killing your siblings."

"C'mon, Reyna!" Dakota slurred. "Just chill." And then he ran off to share his Kool-Aid supplies with the Greek campers.

Reyna unloaded her belongings from the black SUV and walked to the Big House. She started on a staircase to the room she'd stayed in during her previous visit.

"Need help?" someone behind her said.

Reyna nearly dropped her bags. "What the..."

Nico caught one of her bags before it slipped from her hands, and their fingers touched. His hand was cool, but heat shot up Reyna's arms. "Thanks." she said, grabbing the bag back.

"No problem. I'm sorry for scaring you."

"It's okay. You're just really quiet; no one hears you coming."

"Useful on quests, you know."

Reyna allowed herself a smile. "Sure. But no talking about quests. I _need_ a break.

"Tell me about it."

Reyna reached her room. She dumped her bags on the bed and took a good look at her best friend. He had grown so much since they'd first met last year. He was taller; almost her height, and his face had lost some of its childhood roundness, leaving his pale jawline sharply defined, sort of angular.

Nico glanced up at the wall clock in the room. "Almost lunchtime." he said.

The two walked to the dining pavilion. Demigods already crowded the tables, excitedly socializing with each other.

Percy and Jason waved at Nico, but he didn't seem to notice them. Reyna's heart lurched at the sight of the two boys she'd liked both sitting together. They noticed her, and their faces looked the way she felt-awkward.

Reyna sat down at an empty table, Nico next to her. "What's wrong?" he asked. She felt an instant connection, like he was probing her thoughts.

"Stop that." she said.

The corner of Nico's mouth twitched. "Okay. You just seemed...upset, I guess. It's Jason, isn't it?"

"No. Not just Jason."

Nico's eyes widened. "Percy?"

Reyna sighed. "I don't want to talk about it."

It was Nico's turn to sigh. "You _never_ want to talk about things. I'm over Percy, if that's what you're worried about."

"No, you've told me that. It's just..." She took a deep breath. "I offered to be Percy's girlfriend when he first came to Camp Jupiter. He told me he already had Annabeth."

Nico was silent for a few seconds. "I'm sorry. Do you still like him?" he asked softly.

Reyna thought about it. Did she like Percy? No, she decided. Annabeth was her friend, and it was wrong to like her friend's boyfriend. "No." she said.

Nico opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. Reyna guessed he wanted to ask if she liked Jason. Piper was her friend too, but Reyna had known Jason a lot longer than her, and she'd known Jason even before he'd liked Piper. It felt like they would have been more than just friends if Jason hadn't disappeared. She remembered how distraught, how nearly insane she'd become with worry. No one else had bothered that much. They had all given up hope, while she hadn't, searching for him, pestering Octavian to consult the auguries several times a day.

Then Jason had returned, with a Greek daughter of Venus for a girlfriend. Even when his memories had returned, he still hadn't cared enough to come back to her. He hadn't cared about the time they'd spent together, the quests they'd gone on, the times they'd risked their lives for each other. When Percy Jackson showed up, he was so much like Jason, Reyna hoped maybe the gods had sent him, instead of Jason.

She had hoped that he'd be her Jason. All this time, besides Hylla, Jason Grace had been her everything. How did you let go of someone like that?

Suddenly, Nico wrapped her in his arms. "Gods, Reyna, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." Reyna rested her head on his shoulder, realizing for the first time that she was crying. All the hurt she'd pushed back came rushing out, wracking her body with sobs. Others were probably staring at her, Jason was probably staring at her, but the sobs wouldn't stop. Nico patted her back, kissed her forehead, and whispered that it was okay, over and over.

When Reyna had cried herself out, she untangled herself from Nico. He looked at her, his eyes shining with concern. "Better?"

"Yeah. Thank you." She was surprised to find that she did indeed feel better. Now that her bottled up heartbreak was out, it had given way to a dull ache that could be healed in time. She'd just have to wait for someone to help with it.

Reyna looked around her, imagining campers staring at her, but found herself in the woods.

"I brought us here. I didn't think you'd want to cry in the dining pavilion."

Reyna smiled. "Gods, no! I'm sorry you had to waste your time, though."

"Reyna, it doesn't matter. I'm your friend, and...I'm going to be here for you. Got it?"

"Got it."

 **A/N - How was this, cyber pals? I'll upload the next one tomorrow, I promise.**

 **Rock on and don't forget to smile ㈴2㈳5㈳3**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N - Okay, so I know I'd promised to update this the very next day, but I didn't. I know, I know. And I'm sorry this took so long, but here's the thing: I have to do this _in secret_ (long story). It's hard enough with my parents and sister around, so it definitely did NOT help when my grandparents decided to pop in for a visit. **

**Nico's POV:**

They were just out of the woods when Will Solace came running up to them.

"Di Angelo! Gods, I've been looking all over for you! Chiron's called an emergency meeting at the Big House."

Nico stifled a groan. "What happened now?"

"You'll see when you get there. By the way, death boy, when exactly were you planning to introduce me to your girlfriend?"

Reyna cocked an eyebrow, looking at Nico like, 'What did you tell this guy?'

 _If only she was my girlfriend_ , Nico thought. But no way in Hades was he telling Solace that.

He glared at the son of Apollo. "Stop calling me death boy. And Reyna is not my girlfriend."

Will smirked. "Right."

"Stop your bickering, you two. There's an emergency, remember?" Reyna interrupted.

Everybody had already gathered around the T.V. when Nico entered. All the head counsellors were present, except Annabeth and Piper. Annabeth still had a week of school left, and Piper was visiting her father.

"Well, that's everyone." Chiron said. "I would like you all to take a look at this." He gestured to the T.V. The news channel was turned up, and a headline flashed "Psychotic Cannibal Loose in Miami". A blurry video of the psychotic cannibal in question attacking a kid played.

A few campers were squinting to see through the Mist, but Nico saw clearly. Apparently, Reyna did too, because she gasped. The guy in the video wasn't human at all. He was a Cyclops. The video kept playing as the cyclops bit off the kid's arm and stuffed it in his mouth. A daughter of Aphrodite threw up.

Chiron switched the television off. "Looks like we've got something new to worry about." he sighed.

No one spoke for a few seconds. Then Percy broke the silence. "That's Polyphemus. He's escaped his island somehow."

"Maybe it's because the Golden Fleece isn't on his island anymore, and he's probably run out of food." Malcolm said.

"Maybe" Drew said, "but we have to decide who goes on this quest first."

"Well, obviously, I have to go." Percy said. "I'm a son of Poseidon, and I've fought Polyphemus before."

"Um, what if Polyphemus somehow recognises you? That's not going to help." Will pointed out.

"I'll do it." Nico spoke up.

"I'm still coming." Percy said.

"I'm coming too." Reyna put a hand on his forearm. Even with the sleeve of his aviator jacket in the way, Nico's arm buzzed with electricity. He should have lost focus, but he snapped back to his senses instead. Reyna could not come. He was not going to let her put herself in danger. But what was he going to he tell her? That it was _dangerous_? Yeah, right.

Nico sighed. "Do you really want to?"

"Yes."

"So it is settled. Nico, Percy and Reyna will go to Miami. I would have you consult the Oracle, but its spirit has gone silent. Therefore, we conclude this meeting here. Good luck, heroes." Chiron said before trotting off.

The three demigods landed on a beach. Nico had been aiming for Miami, so he guessed this was probably the place. The beach was deserted, dark clouds hung low in the sky, and waves crashed on the shore.

He staggered for a second, and Reyna caught him. Nico had always thought words like 'warm' and 'snugly' sounded absolutely ridiculous, but that was how he felt in Reyna's arms. And it felt damn good.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine." he replied, yawning into her neck.

"Uh...guys?" Percy said, drawing his sword. "I hate to interrupt this beautiful moment, but we've got a problem." He gestured behind them.

They did indeed have a problem. An army of at least two dozen Cyclopes was approaching. What was worse, they seemed to be armed.

"No one said anything about an army!" Percy muttered, drawing his sword.

Reyna drew her pilum. "We should see what they want. Maybe they're -"

"No way!" Percy interrupted. "Polyphemus is right up in front! That guy's a demigod eating nutcase! We're going to have to kick major butt here."

Just then, the Cyclops from the T.V.- Polyphemus- spotted them.

"Demigods!" he roared, clumsily running towards them, the others watching. As the Cyclops got closer, Nico could see he was blind, which meant he relied on sound and smell. Sadly, the other Cyclopes seemed to see just fine.

Three demigods against thirty Cyclopes. _Hopefully they're not hungry_ , Nico thought. He plunged his Stygian-iron sword deep into the sand, and called for the undead. In an instant, a massive army of skeletal warriors erupted, their weapons drawn.

Polyphemus stopped in his tracks, but only for a second. Then the entire Cyclops army charged.


	11. Chapter 11

**Reyna's POV:**

Reyna had never thought she'd be afraid of loincloths. But when Polyphemus charged right at her, wearing nothing but a skimpy white kilt threatening to fall off, it changed her mind.

As if that wasn't scary enough, he wielded a giant club."You will make a fine meal, demigod!" the Cyclops bellowed, raising his club.

"I think not, monster!" Reyna said, unsheathing her _pilum_. She slashed at him, but it barely scratched the Cyclops, who tried to swat her away like a housefly. Reyna managed to dodge the strike, which had come terribly close to her head.

Nico and Percy each had their own Cyclops to deal with. Thankfully, the rest of the Cyclopes were kept busy by Nico's undead army.

Reyna glanced at Nico out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be holding out better than her and Percy; his Stygian iron blade tearing at the monster's very soul, weakening it till it dissolved into dust.

"Say goodbye to life, demigod!" Polyphemus barked, swinging his enormous club at Reyna. She ducked, then slashed and stabbed at his legs till they were drenched in ichor. Polyphemus sank to his knees, howling in pain when his bleeding gashes hit the salt-crusted sand.

Reyna took a few steps backwards. This was her chance. She ran at Polyphemus, extending her pilum into a javelin just before launching herself into the air and kicking the Cyclops right in the eye.

"Aaagghhh!" Polyphemus bellowed. Reyna stabbed his eye again and again, this time with her javelin.

"You will pay for this!" The monster said as he dissolved into a massive cloud of dust.

"Whoa, Reyna." Percy said, looking slightly awestruck. "Cool pole vault move."

"Thanks."

She looked around. Most of the Cyclopes had been destroyed, but the few smarter ones (relatively speaking; Cyclops weren't known for their high IQ) remained, giving her friends a hard time. One of those Cyclops went for Reyna, his sword glinting in the dimming afternoon light. Something flashed behind her, but she couldn't see what it was. Not while she already had a Cyclops trying to skewer her. A bad feeling hit Reyna. Something was going to go wrong.

"Reyna, watch out!" Nico yelled.

Reyna turned around, but it was a second too late. Cold, harsh metal pierced her stomach, and she crumpled to the ground. She lost all ability to think clearly, pain her only coherent thought. She wanted to scream, but it hurt too much.

Involuntary moans escaped her, each cry agonising. She felt tears blur her vision, but all she could do was keep lying down and letting them fall.

Other sounds echoed dimly around her. Sounds of metal on metal, roars and shouts. Someone screamed. Was that Nico's voice? She couldn't tell anymore.

She lay on the sand, gasping and shivering. Despite the state she was in, Reyna couldn't stop loathing herself. How easy it had been for the person-or maybe Cyclops- behind her to hurt her. What kind of warrior was she? It was her fault she got stabbed, so it would be her own fault if she bled to death.

 _Get up and fight_ , she told herself. She was _not_ going to die without putting up a fight first.

She tried moving her hands. They obeyed, and allowed her to try standing up. A fresh stab of pain hit Reyna and she nearly collapsed again. She forced herself to look at the wound. Blood flowed freely, gushing from around the sword that was still lodged in her stomach.

"Reyna, oh gods! I'm so, so sorry!" Strong arms wrapped around her, gently helping her back to the sand.

"N-Nico?" Reyna rasped, her throat sore from crying out loud.

"Yeah, it's me, Reyna. I'm sorry I didn't help you earlier. But I had to keep fighting them. It's okay, they're all gone now." Nico said, pouring nectar into her mouth. Reyna gasped as she swallowed. Her agony lessened; raging pain taking its place.

"I'm going to pull the sword out, Reyna." Nico said. "Before the wound closes."

Reyna's mind had just begun to clear up when the same sharp pain hit her. She screamed, her throat and stomach both burning. The smell of blood wrapped around her like a blanket, its salty metallic odor making her retch.

"It's okay, Reyna. You're going to be okay." Nico said, feeding her more nectar.

Reyna drew a few ragged breaths in. She could feel her grip on consciousness slipping. There was nothing she wanted more than to fall into a deep sleep; and escape all the pain. She felt her breathing quieten, and her eyes close themselves. The pain already seemed more distant now, as if she was in someone else's body. Nico was saying something, but it seemed distant, just like everything else. Just like all the faces of all the people she'd known, flashing through her mind.

A quiet peace crept into her, a peace she had never felt before. _Goodbye Hylla_ , she thought.

"Reyna..." his voice called, frantic and muffled.

 _Goodbye, Nico._

And then she gave in to the darkness.

 **A/N - Well, guys? You don't really think I killed her, do you? Maybe, maybe not.**

 **Maybe because Nico could still see her in Elysium ( _that_ would begin an Underworld themed demigod/spirit love story). **

**Maybe not because Reynico still has a long way to go in the real world.**

 **Anyway, Love ya, stick around, keep smiling!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N - Okay, so I crossed 1500 views a few days ago! I know it's like, equal to nothing, but I've never even met a PJO fan in real life, much less another Reynico shipper (heck, I know like, _one_ other girl who reads), so even if 1500 people have read this and even half of them have liked it, I'm still glad.**

 **Anyway, I have 7 reviews and yes, it's nothing (again), but still, thank you QIsForQuagswag, Envied kamikaze, roag123, ro781727 and all the guests for reviewing!**

 **I'd also like to clarify the Helios and Selene thing. Yes, apparently they did fade away, but I liked those guys and felt bad for them. The Romans may have forgotten them, but according to the Greeks (at least, according to some of the stuff I looked up), Helios and Selene remained the Titans of the sun and moon, while the Romans replaced them w/ Apollo and Artemis/Diana. So when Diana appears, she does not call Selene 'Luna' because the 'Luna' part of Selene has faded, but the Greek part still exists and shares all the moon-related duties with her. That's what I was thinking, anyway.**

 **Let's get back to my darling OTP, shall we?**

 **Nico's POV:**

How could he? How could Nico have let that one-eyed scumbag stab Reyna in front of his own eyes?

 _You could run away, never to be seen again,_ a voice in his head whispered. Nico pushed it down. He was **not** going to run-not when Reyna (and maybe Percy) needed him. He wasn't that person anymore.

"Reyna!" he cried. Nico wanted to rush to her side, but the Fates had other ideas. His skeletal army lay strewn across the beach the way seashells would be. They weren't going to fight any time soon. The rest of the Cyclopes surrounded him and Percy, advancing steadily.

"Take this, morons!" Percy yelled. A massive wave came crashing down on the Cyclopes. They should have been hurt, but instead, the water washed over them harmlessly. Something-or someone-was protecting them.

"Huh?" Percy's sea-green eyes went wide. He closed his eyes and concentrated, but to Nico he just looked constipated. Someday, he was going to tease Percy about this.

"Worry about that later!" he said. "FIGHT now!" And they attacked. The scumbag who'd stabbed Reyna paid first.

After what seemed like an excruciating eternity, Nico finally ran to Reyna, who was trying to stand up.

"Reyna! Oh gods! I'm so, so sorry!" He wrapped his hands around her, laying her back on the sand. She was in no condition to do anything but heal.

"N-Nico?" she said, her voice weak.

"Yeah, it's me, Reyna. I'm sorry I didn't help you earlier. But I had to keep fighting them. It's okay, they're all gone now." He took out his flask of nectar and poured it into her mouth.

Now for the horrifying part. "I'm going to pull the sword out, Reyna. Before the wound closes." He tugged at it gently, hoping that was all it would take to dislodge it. but of course, it wasn't. He was going to have to hurt the girl he loved in order to heal her. His fingers closed around the hilt, and he pulled quickly.

Reyna screamed. Nico flinched, feeling tears well in his eyes. The sword was out, dripping with blood- _Reyna's_ blood. She had already lost so much of it; at this rate...NO.

"It's okay, Reyna. You're going to be okay." He said, mostly to convince himself than her.

As if the Fates were playing a cruel joke on him, Nico sensed Reyna's soul getting distant, yet closer. Distant as in, away from the mortal world, and closer meaning closer to the Underworld. Closer to death.

"No!" he said, his voice breaking. 'Reyna, hold on. Please..." Tears now rolled down his cheeks. He didn't even care-or notice-that Percy saw him cry. It didn't matter to Percy, though. His friend simply put a hand on his shoulder, extending his silent support.

"Reyna..." Nico shook her shoulders.

"Well, what have we here?" a male voice said.

Nico whipped around. Emerging from the sea was a young guy, probably in his early twenties'. His skin had a pale greenish tinge to it, and his hair was jet black. His face was cold and condescending, just like an immortal's.

"Triton." Percy said, his expression guarded.

"Percy Jackson." Triton spoke, his face just as guarded. He hesitated as he drew closer to the shore, and Nico saw that he had two fish tails-also green.

"Finally helping, are you? I thought you were going to lounge around that camp of yours while Father is in trouble." The other son of Poseidon said.

Percy's jaw tensed. "What happened? Does this have something to do with the army of Cyclopes we just fought?"

"It has everything to do with it, actually. You're going to have to come along to Father's palace, I'm afraid. That is, if you're planning to help."

"Of course I'm planning to help!" Percy muttered.

Triton sighed. "Let's get going, then. We're water traveling. It's similar to what your friend here does, only with water bodies instead of shadows."

"I know that. Nico, you coming? No, wait-" He glanced guiltily at a hopefully-just-unconscious Reyna.

Nico looked down at the Roman praetor in his arms. He could sense her soul, which was back in its place. He sighed with relief. "It's okay. She'll make it."

Triton flashed them an annoyed look. "Will you two please hurry up?"

Nico wondered if he could just shadow-travel back to Camp Half-Blood and leave Reyna there. He couldn't, though. He was already tired after the fight, and one trip to camp might mean him not having enough energy to make another. No, he had to stay, which meant Reyna had to stay. He sighed, lifting her up and stepping toward the water.

"Um, Percy? How are we going to breathe?"

"Here." Nico didn't feel anything, but Percy looked pretty pleased with himself, so it probably worked.

Nico found that it did indeed work. Apparently, Percy had wrapped them in an air bubble that fit their forms.

They swam deeper and deeper, till the light that filtered through from the surface was a murky grayish-blue. Fish swam by, from sharks to tiny bass. Triton led the way, always staying a few feet ahead. It was obvious he didn't like Percy much. Or rather, at all.

Nico was just wondering about how he would feel if he had a brother when Percy spoke.

"So." he began awkwardly.

Nico figured it was time to set things straight between him and Percy. No matter how many times he had told Percy he didn't like him anymore, Percy still got uncomfortable around him. "There's something I want to tell you."

Percy looked horrified for a second, then said, "Sure. What is it?"

Nico smiled. "For the millionth time, Percy. I don't like you, okay? I see you as a friend, that's all. I'm not even gay."

"Really?" A number of expressions seemed to fly across Percy's face. Surprise, realisation, curiosity.

"Is it Reyna?" He looked at her unconscious form in Nico's arms.

Nico winced. Was he being so obvious? Percy had never been able to tell what Nico thought or felt, but here he was, asking about Reyna. Was love turning him into an open book?

"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it." Percy said, his voice quiet.

"Is it obvious?"

"Well, you have been spending a lot of time with her lately. And the others don't - _didn't_ know anything about you being gay. There were rumours about you liking Annabeth. But now..."

"There are rumours about Reyna and me." Nico finished.

"Yeah."

"Well, they're not true."

"So you don't like her?"

Nico thought he felt Reyna move. Then it hit him: She was breathing. Alive.

He swallowed, fighting back tears of relief. Deciding to answer Percy's question, he said, "No, I don't like her." _I love her,_ he thought.

 **A/N - Yup. No demigod/spirit Underworldy love story. If you guys want that, I can put it up as a different story. Anyway, I have a bunch of those big-part-of-your-final-grade tests going on, so I won't update for about a week.**

 **Love ya, review, and keep smiling!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Reyna's POV:**

"Reyna? Can you hear me?" A voice asked.

Nico's voice.

Reyna didn't know when she came to, how she came to, but she felt like she was half-asleep, half-awake. She wasn't ready to wake up yet. With every passing second, she felt her consciousness take its hold, making her painfully aware of her wound. The peaceful feeling was gone, and she felt a pang of loss.

"Reyna...please..." Nico whispered, quiet as death. "Wake up soon." A drop of something landed on her collarbone.

A memory flashed through her mind: _The throne room of Hades' palace, Persephone leading her aside, saying,_ _"I hope you will take care of Nico, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano. The boy has suffered enough. And so have you."_

 _"Lady Persephone-"_

 _"You'll understand someday." She led her back to where Nico and Hazel stood. Neither of them said anything._

Reyna thought she heard Nico sigh, snapping her back to the present. So much for taking care of him - the opposite was happening.

 _Wake up_ , she told herself. Her eyes had just enough energy to open.

Nico's large brown eyes peered down at her, rimmed red but relieved. He bent over and buried his face in her shoulder. Reyna noticed she was lying down, and that she had a splitting headache. The atmosphere around her felt heavy, like she was underwater. Which she was. By reflex, she held her breath.

"It's all right." Nico said. "Percy put up an air bubble around us. You can breathe."

"Where's Percy?"

"Looking for Tyson. Poseidon's in trouble." Nico was still hugging her, which muffled his voice.

Reyna looked around. The room was simple, but the walls gleamed with pearls, other stones and shells. All kind of sea creatures swam by, from sharks to tiny bass to fully armed mermen. She tried to recollect how she'd gotten there, but her mind answered with a headache.

"Is this Neptune's palace?"

Nico nodded, lifting his head from her shoulder and looking at her, his face just inches from hers. "You scared me, you know. I actually felt you... _go_ , for a second."

"I know. I felt myself go, too." Reyna whispered, her throat burning.

He moved closer, kissing her cheek ever so softly. If Reyna were the type who blushed, she probably would have. Had Persephone meant for her to... _date_ Nico when she'd asked her to take care of him? Or simply to fill in for the older sister he had lost?

She settled on the second option. Nico was gay, and even if he was straight, what were the chances that he'd fall for her? Besides, no demigod could heal her heart. No, he just needed an older sister figure in his life. That was it.

Disappointment hit Reyna a lot stronger than it should have.

"Friends!" Tyson's voice boomed. The Cyclops entered, carrying Percy on his shoulder.

"Okay, big guy." Percy called. "You can put me down now."

Tyson set Percy down carefully and scooped Nico and Reyna up instead.

"Careful" Nico warned him. "Reyna's hurt."

Tyson blinked. "Sorry, Reyna." he said, patting her on the head.

Reyna couldn't help but smile. Percy's kid brother was quite likeable. "Thank you, Tyson. But I'm much better."

"Uh, do any of you guys know who Eurybia is?" Percy asked.

"Of course!" Nico and Reyna answered at the same time. "Eurybia is a minor sea-goddess, under Poseidon." Nico continued. "She's also sort of ... evil."

Percy's eyes widened. "Oh..." he trailed off, suddenly seeming to understand something. "She sent my dad this message through some cuttlefish. It said she was giving him one last chance to surrender peacefully, then she'd attack."

"Daddy said no." Tyson said.

Reyna's head throbbed even harder. She massaged the spot above her left eyebrow, willing herself to think clearly. "So attack it is."

Percy sighed. "Yeah. Half the Cyclopes and sea creatures have already gone over to her side. There's no choice but to fight. It's just a question of when she's gonna attack."

The Fates must have been eavesdropping, because a loud boom shook the palace, sending out shock waves strong enough to make anyone sick. Mermen hurried to the back of the palace, and more explosions continued to blast it, while panicked fish scuttled around through the increasing debris.

"Uh...I think she just did." Percy said.

Nico calmly raised an eyebrow. "Gee, you think?"

Reyna shook her head. Even when faced with imminent danger, the son of Hades still found time to be sarcastic. "What's our plan, exactly?"

"Nothing." Percy shrugged, drawing riptide. "We go face this evil goddess lady, kick her butt all the way to Tartarus and come back. Unless you've got a plan or something."

"I've got a headache." Reyna murmured.

"Great. Let's do this." Percy said grimly.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N - Hey y'all! Sorry I've been away for soooo long, I missed not writing! Hope your summer's going great! Anyway, guess what I read in the ToA? Solangelo is no longer implied, but totally official! Yup. Not that I don't like it or anything, but being a Reynico shipper, it kinda broke my heart, you know? (But I still couldn't stop reading.) That's what I get for shipping a canonly impossible pairing. Sigh.**

 **Okey dokey, on with the story! BTW envied kamikaze, thanks for reviewing! That made me smile:)**

The back of the palace was being bombarded. Not by Greek fire, but by the biggest sea monster Nico had ever seen. The thing made pick-up trucks look like toy cars. It also had the toughest-looking skin, which was an uneven shade of sickly blue. The giant creature rammed its head into the palace walls, sending chunks of limestone, shells and pearls floating randomly. Armed mermen and more amusingly, armed dolphins swam up to defend the Sea God's realm. Poseidon himself was nowhere to be seen. He'd been in the throne room just a while ago. _Well, that's a bummer_ , thought Nico. They could've used his help.

"Reyna," Percy said, "maybe you should go back to camp with Triton. He can-"

"No. Not happening."

"Are you-"

"Yes, Percy, I'm sure." Reyna snapped.

Percy glanced worriedly at Nico. The son of Hades shrugged, hoping to hide his own worry. "She's much better. She'll do okay." he said.

The last part was true, but telling the daughter of a war goddess and Praetor of Rome to sit out a battle was not going to help.

Triton was already at the scene of chaos, attempting to hack away at the monster with a sword, which looked about as effective as a fork. Irritated, the monster swatted Poseidon's heir away, where he was sent flying, if you could be sent flying underwater; right into the back walls of the palace.

The creature opened its mouth, big enough to swallow a bus whole, and let out a deafening screech. It headed straight for Nico, Percy and Reyna, probably deciding chomping demigods was better than destroying gods' palaces.

Great. Things just keep getting better and better, Nico thought. He wondered briefly whether his Stygian-iron sword would have any effect on the monster.

As it turned out, it did. The dark blade fulfilled its purpose, piercing the monster's soul, but it wouldn't be short before it gave in. Too long, rather.

Nico, however, kept at it, slashing repeatedly at the monster. Reyna and Percy seemed to be doing the same. The celestial bronze and imperial gold only seemed to make the giant creature more annoyed. It screeched even more.

Nico decided he would earplugs along with him on the next quest he went on, _if_ he survived this thing.

The monster-was this thing called a kraken?- suddenly swerved to the left, tossing Percy aside. The son of Poseidon recovered quickly, attacking the monster again. The kraken struck at him, his mouth open. Luckily for Percy, he dodged easily. Nico knew he and Reyna could not have done the same.

The three demigods did their best to keep the creature at bay. After what seemed like hours of fighting, it finally showed signs of tiring. Its annoying shrieks reduced in harshness, if only slightly, and it seemed to be a tad slower.

Nico took a second to catch his breath. He looked around at the few soldiers that remained, and at the partially disfigured palace. If a goddess were attacking, shouldn't she have brought an army? Who was stupid enough to simply send one monster- however huge and difficult to handle- to attack a rival god? A bad feeling clawed at the son of Hades. Something didn't seem right.

The kraken seemed to give up on Percy for the moment and lunged for Nico instead. His reflexes kicked in before he knew it, but he wasn't fast enough to sidestep the monster. The creature's giant mouth closed around the son of Hades, trapping him shut.

Reyna screamed, her voice sounding muffled from the outside. Nico's stomach knotted. Even when separated by a wall of monster blubber, he could still feel waves of anguish rolling out from the praetor.

Sighing, he turned around in the darkness. His Stygian-iron blade glowed jet black, seeming to suck all the light into it, into nothingness. Its sheer darkness made the cavern of a mouth seem brighter, somehow.

When his eyes adjusted to the lack of light, faint outlines of walls traced themselves into sight. They could have been imagination, though. Nico swam towards what he thought was the roof of the monster's mouth. Each movement hurt. He felt around, poking with his sword, hoping to fight his way out. Fatigue was slowly creeping up on him, and he had no strength to shadow-travel himself out of there. Just when the tip of his sword touched something, a flood of water came gushing through, pushing Nico deeper in. The creature had swallowed him.

He sloshed to a stop, now in the creature's belly. It felt even darker in here. His hand gripped his sword tightly, his knuckles aching with the effort. The air bubble Poseidon had surrounded him with when they'd arrived was thinning. Nico forced himself to take shallower breaths. Stars swam around him, partly from the lack of oxygen, and partly from the kraken's movements. He had to get out. Fast.

Willing his aching hand to move, the son of Hades held his sword harder. He could do this. With every last bit of his strength, he attacked. He slashed blindly, as fast as he could. He was breathing deeply now, and he had minute or so before he ran out air completely.

The insides of the creature weren't as tough as its skin. The blade seemed to actually pierce the monster's flesh. The stars in front of Nico's eyes were getting brighter, and his stomach churned. He couldn't take any more. He just hoped the monster felt the same.

The power of his strikes was weakening. ' _Come on!'_ , a voice in mind gasped. How much more could it possibly take? Any minute now...

His attacks had reduced to mere scratches. Nico was holding his breath now, having run out of air. If he didn't get oxygen soon...was this how he'd go? Would he end up in Elysium? Or Asphodel?

He felt the monster move, pushing him forward. He let himself be tossed around, too tired to resist. Too tired to even think. Just before Nico's eyes closed, a blue light engulfed him.

He'd made it out.


End file.
